WATERVILLE — It’s 6 a.m. on Thursday and dark outside, but at Toast Xpress, the lights are on, coffee is brewing and lots of thick slices of freshly baked bread are waiting to be toasted, topped, broiled and consumed.

Toast Xpress, which opened Sept. 29 at 10 Railroad Square in the building that formerly housed Glass Express, is a unique eatery offering bread baked by Big G’s Deli in Winslow and served up with a wide variety of spreads, cheese, meat and, in some cases, sweets.

Customer James Pryor loads up on coffee before his breakfast at the Toast XPress diner in Waterville on Thursday. Staff photo by David Leaming

Toast XPress owner Cindy Scott prepares to make breakfast at the new diner in Waterville in October 2015. Staff photo by David Leaming

Despite the early hour, the restaurant was bustling with customers strolling in and out, some ordering take-out and others eating in.

Susan Tuthill was enjoying The King’s Toast, with peanut butter, bananas and honey. She’s a vegetarian, so she skipped the bacon that usually comes on it.

“I think it’s fabulous,” Tuthill said, as she dined with friends. “It’s very unique. I think there’s something here that everybody will like, whether you are a vegetarian, gluten-free or a meat eater.”

She noted there are also low-calorie items. “There’s something for everyone,” she said. “You never go away hungry, and it’s bright and fresh and very clean.”

James Pryor was filming live with his cellphone, touting the restaurant to people around the world who he said follow his videos.

He ordered Toast of the Town, which has a house-made cheese spread, ham, bacon, sausage and melted butter.

“The food is spectacular,” he said. “I think this place is going to be really popular. I think the Colby kids will come here.”

Open 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week, the restaurant is operated by Cindy Scott, who owns 50 percent of the business. Big G’s partners Jerome Gerard, Gerald Michaud Jr. and Josh Michaud own the other 50 percent.

“Our real focus is customer service, making it a nice place to come in and sit down and read the paper and look out the windows,” she said.

The renovated space seats 60 people and has large windows on all sides that look out over Main Street. Diners will see trains passing by and patrons going in and out of other businesses at Railroad Square.

The eatery is freshly painted with large-print photos of Waterville on the walls, as well as framed famous quotations about toast.

Scott had been in the restaurant business 40 years and decided to try something different, she said.

She knew the Big G’s partners, who got together and came up with the different combinations of toppings to place on the toast.

She said that in addition to regular menu items, she and her employees can make toast to order and prepare take-out.

On the menu, there are items such as the Avocado Smash, which has an avocado topping with red pepper flakes and sea salt on toast; Toast the Dawn, with house-made cheese spread, egg salad, melted cheddar and a choice of ham, bacon or sausage; and french toast, featuring warm butter, cinnamon, sweet milk and maple syrup. There are also gluten-free bagels and muffins.

Scott has five employees “who are all outstanding.”

On Thursday, Lorrie Bonczyk was working at the broiler as Amanda Doyon, who graduated from culinary school at Southern Maine Community College, entered the restaurant.

Doyon is Scott’s kitchen manager. “She keeps the kitchen shipshape and taught me a lot of things about exactly how things go,” Scott said.

“All three of my kids moved down south,” said Scott, a 1973 graduate of Waterville Senior High School. “I have the time, I like the challenge and I love working with customers.”

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17

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